ALBANY – The theme of Giants training camp ’99 could easily center on the inspirational returns of several key players from various forms of injury. But on the day the team reported for camp at the University at Albany, themost noteworthy revelation yesterday was that Gary Brown, the starting running back, is hurt far worse than first thought and is a long ways from getting back on the field.

Brown was involved in a motorcycle accident on June 26 in his hometown of Williamsport, Pa., and the initial reports were that the sturdy runner, while badly bruised and suffering from a concussion, was not seriously injured and would certainly be ready to go at the start of camp. That is not the case.

The frightening accident left Brown with a painful hematoma in his left buttocks and at the moment, he cannot even run.

When the Giants hit the field this morning for their first practice, Brown will attempt to jog and a skeptical Jim Fassel admitted Brown, who gained a career-high 1,063 yards last year, might not be ready for the Sept. 12 regular-season opener in Tampa.

A hematoma is a tumor-like mass produced by coagulated blood in a cavity, and it was caused by the impact of Brown getting thrown from his Suzuki in a hit-and-run accident that to this day he continues to have no memory of experiencing. Police on the scene told him he was thrown 35 feet from his bike.

“When I first woke up it was like selfish thoughts, like ‘Oh, I’m never going to play football again’, but you got to be thankful,” Brown said. “I could have been dead, paralyzed, anything, broken bones. I’m very happy just to be alive.”

What was supposed to be a brief stay in the hospital was extended to 2 weeks, as it was feared that the hematoma could develop into a blood clot that might travel to other parts of Brown’s body.

As recently as a week ago, Brown said the hematoma was the size of a beach ball and that it is now about the size of a grapefruit. “Compared to where I was, I’m doing really good,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of scar tissue back there. I’ve come a long way since I’ve gotten hit, so I can’t see myself sitting out very long.”

It’s a wait-and-see situation for Brown and the Giants, and in the meantime, there will be plenty of work for three youngsters, rookies Joe Montgomery and Sean Bennett and also LeShon Johnson, who is attempting a comeback after battling lymphoma.

The Giants were excited about seeing how Montgomery, a 230-pounder from Ohio State, and Bennett, a little-known 230-pound pass-catcher from Northwestern by way of Evansville, would fit into their redesigned offense. In the early going, the duo will be thrown directly into the mix, as Fassel said he wanted Tiki Barber to concentrate mostly on his roles as the third-down back and possibly as the punt returner.

Brown, who could not pass the Giants’ physical examination, might be placed on the Non-Football Injury list, which would allow the team to bring in another player while Brown heals. He receives treatment of ice, electro-stimulation and massage, and, most of all, needs time.

As he was unable to engage in any physical activity other than walking on a treadmill, Brown’s conditioning is not where it should be. Before he is deemed ready to return, he must first be able to sustain a hit to the injured area, and that could be a while. Brown estimated he needs two preseason games to properly prepare himself for the regular season. His performance last year led to a new contract (four years, $5 million) and earned him a starting job that now could be in danger of slipping away if he is not able to get on the field.

“It’s frustrating, but I got to maintain my focus and I got to maintain my mental thing,” Brown said, “because I know eventually I will be back and I can’t let myself get discouraged and down.”